Switch controlling mechanism



Oct. 27, 1931. J. METTLER 1,829,364

SWITCH CONTROLLING MECHANI Sll Filed Feb. 28, 1929 (r I flT TOR/VEYPatented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEF METTLER, OF ZUG, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOB T LANDIS & GYR, A.G., A LIMITED JOINT-STOCKCOMPANY OF SWITZERLAND SWITCH CONTROLLING MECHANISM Application filedFebruary 28, 1929, Serial No. 343,286, and in Switzerland March 1, 1928.

constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shownand described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illus- 0 trate one embodiment of the invention, and

together with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mechanism embodyingthe presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a section taken onthe line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1; and

Figures 4 to 7 are detailed sectional views of a portion of themechanism with the parts in their several positions.

The present invention provides a controlling mechanism for use withelectric switches V and other apparatus whereby a series of definiteoperations can be repeated at definlte,

predetermined and variable intervals, the operations being automaticallycontrolled by the mechanism of the present invention. The

inventionxalso provides a simple, compact and reliable controlling meansfor accomplishing these and similar functions and is particularly useful with sw tches constructed to control a plurality of circuits, and tocffeet the closing and opening of these circuits at different times. 7

Other features of the invention will be initially pointed outinconnection with the following detailed descriptions of the pres- 0 entpreferred embodiment of the invention,

and it will be understood that the foregoing and general description areboth exemplary and explanatory, but. not restrictive of the invention.

The invention in its present preferred embodiment comprises, in its mainfeatures, a rotatable member provided with a plurality of arms extendingtherefrom, and having pivoted thereon a switch actuating link which, onmotion of the disc, sets the switch,

in one of its several positions to effect the desired change in thecircuit relations. This disc is preferably driven by a spring which iskept continually under tension by suitable power means and furnishes thenecessary en- 1 ergy to effect the switching operations. Stoos areprovided, cooperating with the rotatably ,mounted arms, to normally holdthe arms against rotation and for periodically releasing the stops thereare provided a plurality.

of pins mounted on the day disc of a clock mechanism, which pins contactwith and move the stops out. of the way of the arms and allow the armsto have a partial rotation resulting in a corresponding movement of theswitch operating link. Preferably, the arms are not of uniform lengthand require a different amount of movement of the stop to release thedifferent arms, whereby undesired operation of the switch is prevented,the dif-i ferent amount of movement of the stops being imparted to themby varying the length of the pins on the day-disc. In the presentembodiment, the invention is shown as applied to a controlling mechanismin which the parts are built in units so the severalportions of thecontrolling mechanism can be separately assembled or replaced withoutdisturbing the mechanism as a whole.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of theinvention as illustratedby the accompanying drawings 2 The switchactuating means, in the present embodiment, comprise a rotatable member10 mounted on shaft 11, said rotatable member being provided with aplurality of arms 12, 13 and 14 of different lengths, and also carryinga pin 15 by which link 16, connect ng the rotatable member to the switchoperating arm 17, is pivotally mounted. I The specific form of switch isnot material to the present invention, but may conveniently comprise, ashere shown, an insulating base member 20 on which two fixed contacts 21,22 are mounted in different planes, with which contacts movable springmounted contacts 23, 24 cooperate. For moving the movable contacts atdifferent times, there is provided an insulated bar 26 supported by endframes 27 pivoted by pin 28 in end bracket 29. An arm 17 extending fromthe end frame 27 is pivotally connecting with connecting link 16. Asshown, both circuits are closed, and a slight movement of bar 26 wouldmove contact 23 to open one circuit, while a further movement will movecontact 24 and open the second circuit.

For moving the rotatably mounted arms and thereby actuating theconnecting link. there isprovided a spring 30 attached to gear 31 andloosely coiled around shaft 11, being attached at one of its ends todrum 32, mounted on shaft 11 and connected thereto by a frictioncoupling, not shown. Shaft 11 is mounted in bearings formed in adetachable frame 33 secured to the front plate 34 of the controllingclock mechanism.

Stop mechanism is provided for allowing intermittent rotation of therotatable arms and, as embodied, this stop comprises a U- shaped member35 pivotally mounted on a shaft 36, projecting forwardly from the frontfiat portion of bracket 33, the member 35 being provided with an arm 37extending to one side thereof. Mounted on shaft 36 and fastened to theU-shaped member 35 is a secondary stop 38 projecting a short distancerearwardly eng ing and temporarily restraining the lOtfltlOll of thearms after the arm has been released by the U-shaped stop member 35.These stops are normally urged in a counterclockwise direction by spring40 fastened to the rearwardly extending portion of stop 38 and alsofastened to an extension 41 of bracket 33. For limiting the extent ofmotion of these stops 35 and 38, the rear leg 42 of the U-shaped memberis slotted at its upper end 43 and a depending finger 44, secured toextension 41, extends into the slotted end. Arms 12, 13 and 14, at theirends are provided with forwardly bent portions 46, so that only thisbent portion will engage with stop 38 and the arms can rotate freelywhen released from the stop, the relation of the arms and stops beingmost clearly shown in Fig. 2.

For insuring correct sequential operation of the switch actuating meansand for correcting incorrect operation of the switch actuating means,the arms 12, 13 and 14 are made of different lengths, and, as shown,arms 12 and 13 are of different length while arm 14 is slightly longerand requires a greater angular movement of stop 35 for its release. Forproducing the different angular movements of the stop 35 arm 37 isprovided with a forwardly spaced plate 48, rigidly mounted thereon, thetop edge of the plate 48 being slightly lower than the top edge of thearm 37, so that as it contacts with short actuating pins, only a smallangular motion of the stops will be produced. Arm 37 will contact withlonger pins and be moved through a greater angle to release the longestof the rotatable arms 14.

The clock mechanism for controlling the stops comprises a day disc 50,mounted by shaft 51 on frame 34, and is here shown as of the usualLandis 8:. Gyr type, in which the day disc is turned by gear 53 meshingwith a driving pinion of the clock mechanism, not shown. The day disc50, at its peripheral edge is provided with a flat annular portion 54 towhich the usual. form of controlling pins 56, 57 are clamped by arms 58,supported on shaft 51.

For continually maintaining the actuating spring 30 in a fully tensionedcondition, gear 31 is loosely mounted on shaft 11 and meshes with pinion59 driven by the day-disc driving gear 53 so that as the day-disc isdriven, gear 31 is also driven and continually winds up spring 30.Overwinding is prevented by the friction clutch described above.

Where desired to reverse the sequence of the switching operations, ahole. 60 is provided for receiving pin 15 and this hole is spaced 180from the hole normally receiving the pin.

The operation of the above-described mechanism is substantially asfollows:-

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, day-disc 50 rotates andpin 56 engages plate 48 as shown in Figure 4, moving stop 35 to the leftwhereby arm 12 is released and moved by spring 30 until it contacts withstop 38, pin 56 then moves further and moves of]? the plate 48 allowingstops 38 and 35 to move to the right and release arm 12, allowing arm 12to rotate until arm 13 contacts with stop 35. As arms 12, 13 and 14 arerotated by spring 30, connecting link 16 is pushed down, moving bar 26to move contact 23 and open this circuit. As the next short pin 56engages plate 48 a partial rotation of the arms occurs moving bar 26 tomove contact 24. The next pin should be a long pin 57, (Fig. 5) and thiswill move arm 37 to release the long arm 14 (Fig. 6) and as pin 57 movesoff the arm 37, the arm 14 will rotate a half-revolution, closing bothswitches and resetting the mechanism in position of Fig. 1.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificmechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

What I claim is 1. Switch controlling mechanism in'cluding incombination a plurality of rotatabl mounted arms, a stop positioned inthe pat of the arms, a clock driven member, and a plurality of variablypositionable means on said member to move, the stop different distancesfor releasing difl'erent arms.

2. Switch controlling mechanism including in combination a plurality ofrotatably mounted arms, said arms being of different lengths, means forrotating the arms, a stop and means for movin the stop to differentpositions to release di erent arms.

3. Switch controlling mechanism including in combination a plurality ofrotatably mounted arms of different lengths, means for rotating thearms, a stop to control rotation of the arms, a clock-driven disc, and aplurality of pins on said disc, said pins differing from each other andbeing adapted to move the stop to several different positions toselectively release said arms.

4. Switch controlling mechanism including in combination a plurality ofrotatably mounted arms of different lengths, means for rotating thearms, a sto to control rotation of the arms, a clock-driven disc and aplurality of pins on the disc to selectively operate the stop for theseveral arms.

5. Switch mechanism including in combination a switch adapted to controla plurality of circuits, a switch operating member adapted to operatethe switch to individually control the circuits, a clock-driven disc andmeans on the disc for selectively controlling the operating member.

6. Switch mechanism in'cluding in combination a switch adapted tocontrol a plu- 40 rality of circuits, a switch operating member having aplurality of arms of difl'erent lengths, a stop movable to severaldifl'erent positions to selectively control movement of the arms, aclock driven disc and means on the disc to move the stop to its severalpositions to control the movement of the switch operating member and theopening and closing of several circuits.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my so name to this specifi'cation.

JOSEF METTLER.

